New York City to Rezone Large Swath Around Grand Central to Permit Taller, More Modern Construction

The New York City Planning Department is hard at work.  Recently, a rezoning proposal focused on permitting new construction and revitalization of the areas around Grand Central Station on the east side. Focused on 3rd avenue, a street with an unusual number of low rise buildings for Manhattan, the idea is that the rezoning will […]

California Enacts Bill to Protect Subcontractors: Restricts Indemnity Clauses with General Contractors

The California has introduced a bill that would protect subcontractors from overly broad indemnification provisions. The bill, which has been passed by both houses and signed into law by the Governor, will become effective on January 2013. California Senate Bill 474 would prohibit a contract clause that would require a subcontractor to indemnify a general contractor, construction manager, or […]

Insurance Requirements Ignored Can Bite Back with a Vengeance

Nearly every contract for construction financing, construction work, purchasing of materials, or equipment rentals has a clause in it that requires that one or both of the parties obtain insurance for a defined amount to guard against casualty loss or injury.  Many times the parties sign the contract and ignore the specifics of what the insurance clauses actually require.  99.9% […]

Wayne Manor, Home of Batman, Valued at $31.1 Million

With housing prices now back on the mend, and the new Batman movie racking it in at the box office, several sites have looked at the (fictitious) Wayne Manor, home of Bruce Wayne, and tried to give it a value. The estimates vary widely, and make some broad assumptions (like how many acres it would include […]